Combined third and traction rail for electric railways and switching systems embodying same.



No. 753,802. PATENTED MAR. 1; 1904.

- E. 0. MORGAN. v COMBINED THIRD AND TRACTION RAIL FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS AND SWITCHING SYSTEM BMBODYING SAME.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 27, 1902.

E0 MODEL.

dca R.

' WITNESSES ATTORNEYS UNITELIH) STATES I fraeiiiihjramh 1, 1904;

PATENT ()FFICE.

EDMUND C. MORGAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AssIGNOE, BY MEsNE As- SIGNMENTS, TO MORGAN ELECTRIC MACHINE COMPANY OF WEsT VIR- GINIA, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIs, ACORPOHATIO OF WEST VIRGINIA.

EM BODYING SAME.

COMBINED THIRD AND TRACTION RAIL FOR ELECTRIC RAILwAYsj I p wI cIIme-sYsTEMs SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 753,802, dategl' March 1, 1904.

Application filed August 2'7, 1902. Serial No. 121,193. (No'modL) To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDMUND O. MORGAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illi- 5 nois, have invented anew'and useful Combined Third and Traction Rail for Electric Railways and Switching Systems Embodying the Same, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a switching system To for combined third and traction rails for elec-' tric railways. I

The object of the invention is to simplify and improve the construction of devices of this nature and to render the same more effi- I 5 cient in operation I Afurther object of the invention is to provide means whereby in a combined third and traction rail for electric railways the third rail serves not only as a conductor for supplying current to the motor on' the truck, but also is constructed and arranged to be engaged by gearingcarried by the truck and operated by the motor thereon for causing the truck to move along the track, and whereinin a sys- 2 5 tem of the character referred to the truck I 4 tion rail for electric railways and a switching system embodying the same constructed and operating in accordance with the principles of my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 1, parts being In the accompanying drawings, showing one form of apparatus embodying the principles of my invention, H designates maintrack rails, and J designates the rails of a branch line communicating with the main-J5 track rails H by means of a switch; The switch-track rails comprise fixed curved por-v tions or parts L, and the p'ivotal sections or portions M are so relatively arranged that when the pivoted sections M are swung into one position-as, for instance, the position shown in Fig. lthe main track is clear for a truck to pass therealong; but when said piv- 3 oted track portions M are swung in the other direction the truck will be switched from the main track H to the switch or branch trackJ The pivotal portions M are connected together necessary to make provision for a constant engagement of the driving-wheel on the truck with the combined third and traction rail while passing over the switch, and in order to enable this result to be accomplished the com: binedthird and traction rail is placed over the switching-rails, so that when the truck progre'sses along any particular pair of trackrails a continuous combined third and traction rail is provided. This, however, necessitates a shifting of thecombined third and. traction, 8 5 rail from the position over the switching-track rails when it isdesired to shift the truck from one pair of track-rails to another. Therefore in carrying out myinvention the combined third and traction rail employed with each 9 pair of track-rails is made in sections. For instance, the main-track rails H are provided with the three sections of combined third and traction rails, designated, respectively, A, A and A and similarly the switching-track rails L and switch-track rails J are provided with a combined third and traction rail composed of the three sections B, B and B The sections A and B are made movable or shiftable, so that the same may be shifted or moved as desired in order to clear the tracks over which said sections are placed. For instance, and as shown in Fig. l, the section A of combined third and traction rail is arranged in alinement with the sections A A and over one of the switching=track rails L, so as to permit a truck to pass freely along the maintrack rails H. At the same time the section B of the switching portion of the combined third and traction rail is shifted or moved out of alinement with the portions B B and clear of the portion H of the main-track rail. This is the relative position of the movable sections of the combined third and traction rail when the movable or pivoted sections M of the switching-rails are in the position shownnamely, that which presents a free track along the main-track rails H. When, however, it is desired to shift the truck from the main-track rails H to the branchtrack rails J, it is necessary to shift the section A clear of the switching-track section L, so as to enable the truck-wheels to pass over said switchingtrack rails, and at the'same time it is necessary to shift the section B of the combined third and traction vrail associated with the switch or branch track rails J into position of alinement with respectto the sections B B In other Words, when the truck is operating over the main-track rails H the section or portion A of the combined third and traction rail associated with" the track-rails H must be shifted into alinement with the sections A A of said combined third and traction railand the section B shifted into position to clear or free the portion H ofthetrack-rails, and when the truck is top'roceed along the switching-rails I bined third and traction rail associated with L and the switch or branch track rails J it is necessary to shift the section B of the com be accomplished readily and easily, the sec-- tions AB are pivotally connected, respectively, to the sections A B, as indicated at C D, respectively, said sections A B being maintained, through such pivotal connection, in constant electrical connectionwith the sections A B, respectively, and in order to prevent a break in the circuit dueto the free ends of sections A B being disconnected with their corresponding continuing connections A B respectively, said sections A B may be maintained in electrical connection with sections A B, respectively, in any suitable or convenient manner as, for instance, by connecting cables D. The movable sections A B of the combined third and traction rail maybe shifted in any suitable or convenient manner. Preferably, and as shown, said sections are simultaneously shifted, so that when oneof the sections is in position to be in commission the other section is in a clear or free position and out of commission relation.

I have shown a simple arrangement for effecting the shifting of the sections A B coincidently with the shifting of the switchingtrack sections M; but my invention is not to be limited or restricted to the particular form of mechanism for effecting such coincident and corresponding shifting of the switching-track and combined third and traction rail sections, as the desired result and operation may be secured in many other ways. In the particular formshown I employ a rotatable shaft E with an operating-handle F, and I mount on said shaft E suitable arms or projections G H, arranged to extend in suitable relation with respect to each other. To the arm G, I connect one end of a bar J, said bar being pivotally connected, as at K L, with levers or arms M N, respectively pivoted to the sections B A The levers or arms M N are fulcrumed, as at O P, to some convenient fixed pointas, for instance, a track tie or sleeper. The arm H on shaft E is connected through a rod or link R to bar N, through which the switching-track sections M are operated.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that when the arm F is swung in one direction or the other there is a coincident move- 1. In an apparatus of the class described,

and in combination with main and branch track rails and switching-track rails, of a com bined third and traction rail for each pair of track-rails, said combined third and traction rails each made in sections, one section of each third and traction rail being movable, as and for the purpose set forth.

- 2. In an apparatus of the class described, and in combination with main and branch track rails and switching-track rails, of a combined third and traction rail for each pair of track-rails, said combined third and traction rails each made in sections, one section of each third and traction rail being movable, and means for simultaneously shifting or moving said movablesections into corresponding and cooperating relation with respect to said trackrails, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, track, switching and switch rails, said switching-rails provided with movable sections, in combination with a combined third and traction rail for each pair of track-rails, said traction-rails made in sections, one section of each traction-rail being pivoted, whereby it may be shifted or swung into and out of alinement with its cooperating sections, and connections between said pivoted traction-rail sections and said pivoted switching-sections, whereby all of said sections are moved in unison, as and for the purpose set forth.

4:..In an apparatus of the class described, main and branch track rails and switchingtrack rails, the latter provided with pivoted sections, in combination with combined third and traction rails for each pair of track-rails, said traction-rails made in sections, one of said sections being pivoted, the pivoted sections of said traction-rails operating over portions of said track-rails, and connections between all of said pivoted sections whereby said sections may be cooperatingly shifted to for simultaneously moving said movable section with the switch-points.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand, this 7th day of August, 1902, in the pres- 3 ence of the subscribing witnesses.

EDMUND C. MORGAN.-

Witnesses:

O. H. SEEM, S. E. DARBY; 

